Patrick Downey received his M.A. in theology from Harvard University and Ph.D. in theology from Boston College. He taught at Boston College, 1988-93 and at St. Mary's College of California since 1994. His areas of specialization are ethics, political philosophy, foundational theology and poetics. He is the author of Serious Comedy: The Philosophical and Theological Significance of Tragic and Comic Writing in the Western Tradition.